Joachim Rønning is speaking up for the unsung heroes of Hollywood but it also means a huge delay in his upcoming project. The filmmaker has just revealed that Tron: Ares was not able to begin production due to the ongoing strikes. In addition to that, Rønning revealed that over 150 people have been laid off by the delay.
The third Tron film has already faced numerous production delays due to script and director changes since 2010. However, things began to solidify when Jared Leto was confirmed to join the project while Joachim Rønning was announced to helm the project. But despite all the hype for the highly anticipated cyberpunk sequel, Tron: Ares faced another major speedbump.
Joachim Rønning took to his official Instagram account to express his support for writers who are currently part of the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strikes. In the post, the Maleficent: Mistress of Evil director revealed that Tron: Ares was supposed to begin production on Monday.
"Today was supposed to be our first day of principal photography on TRON: ARES (a movie subsequently about AI and what it means, and takes, to be human). Instead, we are shut down with over a hundred and fifty people laid off. It’s indefinite, which makes it exponentially harder for everyone," Rønning wrote. He then urged the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and Guilds to speed things up with the negotiation process.
"The AMPTP, SAG-AFTRA and WGA need to not leave the table until it’s done. This is Hollywood. We close deals for breakfast. Why do we suddenly have all the time in the world when every day is so precious? These tactics are extremely frustrating. It’s time for diplomacy so we can get back to work – under conditions that are fair to everybody," Rønning added.
The WGA writers' strike began in May this year and has been ongoing ever since. Several TV shows and film productions have been brought to a halt for almost three months since the SAG-AFTRA joined the strikes in July. If the strikes continue, several productions will not be able to move forward until the end of the year.
For now, it is unclear when Tron: Ares will begin production. Still, people are hoping that things will eventually work out and an agreement is made. In the meantime, Ares will star Jared Leto, Evan Peters, Greta Lee, Sarah Desjardins, Cameron Monaghan and Jodie Turner-Smith. The sequel has not yet been given an official release date.
